PM Modi says incisive benami law next step after demonetisation

NEW DELHI: Notebandi was only the first step in the fight against corruption and black money and an “incisive law“ against benami property was next, PM Narendra Modi said on Sunday. “In the coming days, this law will also become operatio nal,“ he said in his `Mann ki Baat' radio address.

Modi said a “benami property“ law was promulgated in 1988 but it lay dormant for 28 years because rules had not been framed. “I assure you that this is not the end.This is just the beginning in our fight against corruption. We have to win this war against corruption and black money. There is no question of stopping or going back in this fight," he said.

With his 50-day deadline for return of normalcy nearing, the PM defended the frequent changes in rules of demonetisation. “Another issue which comes up is this, why are rules changed time and again? This government is for the sake of the people. The government continuously endeavours to take feedback from them. What are the areas of difficulty for the people?

What are the rules that are creating hindrances... The government, being a sensitive government, amends rules as required, keeping the convenience of the people as its foremost consideration so that citizens are not subjected to hardships," he said. The strong defence came in the wake of frequent tweaking of norms being cited by experts and the opposition as a sign of government's confusion post-currency ban, with arguments that it showed the decision was taken without enough thought.

In what appeared to be a dig at the opposition which has been highly critical of demonetisation, Modi said, “People who cannot endorse corruption and black money openly resort to finding fault with the government relentlessly."

Referring to a spate of arrests of “influential persons" and seizure of currency notes, the PM said the source of information behind this crackdown was the common man.“Information being received from common citizens is many times higher than that being obtained through government machinery," he said, adding that people were taking risks to expose such elements.

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